With the team leader and manager staying back for the time being, assistant manager Md Abu Yusuf, a BFF member, will lead the Bangladesh soccer team which leaves today for Japan to participate in their 1994 World Cup Asian Zone F first leg qualifying matches to be held from April 8 lo 18.
Chief de mission A H Mofazzal Karim, Additional Secretary in-charge of the Ministry of Textiles, who is also a senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Fede ration (BFF). will leave tomorrow while the manager Shaikh Akmal Hossain, the BFF secretary, will join the team on April 9.
Bangladesh, grouped along with hosts Japan, the United Arab Emirates — who will host the return leg-matches from April 28 to May 7, — Thailand and Shri Lanka, will start their campaign by playing against favourites Japan on April 1 I.
They will play Shri Lanka on April 13 and then facet the UAE on April 15 while their final match is against Thailand on April 18.
Kazi Salahuddin. the star striker of yesteryears, is the coach of the squad while Abdus Salam is his deputy. Zakaria Plntu, former national defender and Dr Omar Faruk will accompany the team as observer and physio respectively.
Kaiser Hamid, the lanky defender of Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club, has been elected the skipper of the team.
Following is the full national squad: Md Sayeed Hossain Kanan. Md Ponir, Md Mohsin; Kaiser Hamid (capt), Md Arif Hossain Moon, Md Ataur Rahman Khan, Md Jewel Rana, Masud Rana, Pijush Nandy. Rezaul Karim Rehan; Syed Rumman bin-Wail Shabblr. Md Arman, Md Zakir Hossain. A K M Saiful Bari Tito, Satyajit Das Rupu; Md Rumi Rizvi Karim. Md Golam Ghaus, Mamun Hossain Joahder, Imtiaz Ahmed Naquib; Raklb Hossain, Md Alamgtr and Barun Bikash Dewan.
Golam Rabbani Helal, a BFF member and Abahanl Krlra Chakra official, will be touring with the national squad on hts own expenses.
Other persons, who will Join the team at a later date at their own expenses are the BFF Joint secretary Khairul Anwar Pearu, Md Ferdous and Eogyetur Rahman — the last being two BFF members.
Japan will bear the entire expenditure of the national squad including their travel expenses.